Ship project history:
Three-funnelled ships with a high forecastle deck
extending to the mainmast and considerable tumblehome. A thoroughly
unsatisfactory design, both armament and protection being poor and speed not
exceptional. The 254mm guns were in French-type turrets and of the 152mm 6 were
in upper deck and 4 in main deck casemates, with 1 unprotected in the bows. Most
of the 75mm were in unarmoured upper and main deck batteries.

Ship protection: The main
belt was 95m long and 2.4m wide, 229-1278mm thick with 127mm lower edge, and the
127mm upper belt, reaching the main deck, was only 57m long. Both belts ended in
102mm bulkheads, and there were similar bulkheads between the end casemates. The
armour deck was 63-51mm amidships and 76mm at the ends, and in Pobeda
alloy steel was used.

Naval service:Oslyabya
was sunk 27/5/1905 by gunfire at Tsushima, mainly from the effect of shells
near the wl forward. The other two were at Port Arthur in February 1904.
Peresvet was seriously damaged by gunfire at the Yellow Sea battle, and in
the siege of Port Arthur was scuttled on 7/12/1904 after a total of at least 23
280mm howitzer shells had hit her. She was raised and repaired by the Japanese
and served as the Sagami. Sold back to Russia in 1916, she ran aground
off Vladivostock 26/5/1916 and remained so until July. She was finally sunk
4/1/1917 by a mine laid by German submarine U73 about 10 miles from Port
Said. Pobeda struck a mine 13/4/1904 which exploded under a main coal
bunker, and was repaired by mid June. She was not so badly damaged at the Yellow
Sea as Peresvet but sank at Port Arthur on 7/12/1904 from the effects of
21 280mm shells. Raised and repaired by the Japanese, she served as the Suwo
until scrapped.